Manhattan Project Beer Company

We're #hiring a new Craft Beer Sales Representative in Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. Apply today or share this post with your network.

We're #hiring a new Assistant Restaurant Manager in Dallas, Texas. Apply today or share this post with your network.

I love tracking our taproom beers like they're racehorses. Is a young innovation product going to sneak in to pass the old guys on a curve? I think I am doing the sports analogy thing correctly. Either way, how about a June recap?   DRAFT BEER 1. Half-Life. Hazy IPA 2. Necessary Evil. Pilsner 3. Peacekeeper. Blonde 4. Fallout. Hefeweizen 5. Atomic Alliance. Pina Colada IPA   If we remove Atomic since it is seasonal, Red Gate (Amber) would hold the fifth position. It might inch even higher later this year!  I'll also admit that the TV series called Fallout gave the beer a lovely boost.   BEER TO-GO 1. Atomic Alliance. Pina Colada IPA 2. Half-Life. Hazy IPA 3. Necessary Evil. Pilsner 4. Quarter-Life. Hazy IPA 5. Double Half-Life. Hazy IPA   Quarter and Double match what I planned for both of these beers. They’re ideal for the off-premise. Did you notice four of the top five beers are IPAs?    FOOD 1. Chicken Tenders 2. Braised Pork Arepa 3. Cheeseburger Combo 4. Fries 5. Steak Frites   I take back everything I said about never serving tendies. Honestly, I feared it would turn our beer garden into a daycare. It turns out adults love tenders, too.   Any surprises on the list?

Have you ever had a beer that tasted like cardboard or newspaper? This is a clear sign of oxidation, an off-flavor that can significantly alter the taste of the beer. Oxygen, initially a brewer’s bestie during fermentation, can become a raging frenemy once the yeast has completed its task. Oxygen can enter the beer during any post-fermentation process or transfer, and the packaging process is particularly risky. That’s why some canned beer often doesn’t taste as good as the draft.    Even if it isn't MP, it’s crushing to hear someone say, ‘I love XYZ beer on draft, but it doesn’t taste the same in cans.’ The tasting experience indicates a flaw in the packaging process, which can potentially ruin a perfectly brewed beer. The taste of a beer should remain consistent, whether poured from a keg or opened from a can. Packaging can never be an afterthought in the production process.   We take the steps and measurements necessary to prevent off-flavors and ensure the beer tastes the same no matter the packaging vessel.    Now you know that you're not crazy if you feel like the draft version of the beer is better. Hopefully, this never happens with MP!

Do you ever hear an ingredient and think, “ew.” That's coconut for me. I see coconut ice cream, sparkling water, candy, just about anything except that Girl Scout cookie, and I think yuck. I love coconut, though. But it has to be real coconut.   And that is why Atomic Alliance tastes so dang good. We use real coconut. Most people think they don't like the fruit in their beer. What they don't realize is that they don't like coconut extract in beer. The extract gives it a Banana Boat sunscreen flavor. Not yum.   We use the real ingredients in our beers whenever possible. A few things don't handle fermentation well, like pineapple. It gets super funky in a gym sock kind of way. However, other fruits, coffee, and even vanilla are always the best ingredients we can source.    Speaking of vanilla, that's also the secret to making Atomic Alliance delicious. We use Madagascar Vanilla from Beyond Good. It's expensive, but it's the best. We tested the cheaper vanilla options in the market, and they couldn't compete with Beyond Good. The best part is that it is available at most grocery stores.   Atomic Alliance is available in the taproom and across the market!  - Misty

I see peaches and two different songs begin playing in my head, depending on my setting. Bowser’s Peaches song from the Super Mario Bros movie, which is amazing. Or Peaches by The Presidents of the United States of America. Mom life vs teenage memories. Isn’t it funny how basic visuals and tastes have such strong ties to memories? Both songs make me want to drink Peach Lemonade. At this time last year, we began discussing what flavor trends we anticipated for summer 2024. Everything pointed to peaches. But we were also early in the love affair with Leona Libby, so there could have been a bit of personal bias. Whatever the reason/excuse for using peaches, we are so happy we did because the Peach Lemonade Bikini is hitting so well with the Texas heat. We just tapped a small batch for the taproom. Before we scaled it up, we needed to make a couple of final tweaks—typical things like “How much peach is too much peach?” We think we found the perfect balance of peach, lemon, and vanilla. It will be available in cans in late June. Enjoy it on tap now! - Misty

We introduced Imperial Hoppenheimer (aka IHopp) in early March, and I never mentioned it again. It's not because I don't love it. Not to play favorites, but I love it more than many of our beers. So does a lot of Dallas-Fort Worth!   IHopp hit shelves and went out of stock within days. It was a loop we played with two more batches until we could significantly increase production. We should have predicted this since the same happened with draft last summer. The people love 9% IPAs!   Scarcity works until it makes people mad. So now that I feel confident in our inventory, I am talking about it again. It is refilling shelves and now available in draft across the metroplex.   Between you and me, IHopp could nudge into our top three beers. The can design and liquid hit, and we have the right placements to send this baby to the moon!    IMPERIAL HOPPENHEIMER West Coast IPA | 9.2% ABV 6-Packs, 19.2 oz singles, 1/6 bbl, 1/2 bbl

We're adding another new role! We're looking for an experienced General Manager for the taproom, which is more than a taproom. It's also our showroom, restaurant, coffee shop, and event space. Our focus is beautiful beer because people deserve better.  

We've created a new role in the organization. One that I am super excited about. Sales and production are up over 40% this year, so it is time to add a dedicated Research and Development Brewer to the team!   I'm guessing that not many of you are brewers, but I bet you know brewers. (And salespeople. We're hiring for that position as well.) The R+D role will touch almost every department in the company and get to work on some of the most interesting projects. Imagine all the inspiration and collaboration that will happen when we have someone dedicated to making NEW beautiful beer every day. When we get a hair-brained idea or spot a potential flavor trend, this person gets to figure out how to make it happen.    All of our positions require hungry, truth-seeking individuals who are obsessed with excellence. Phrases like "tried my best" and "it's close enough" are not part of our culture.   The job description is in the link below. Please share with anyone you think could be a fit! https://lnkd.in/grAdcQhQ

Beer dinners. They're finally back! And dare I say, better... It has been so long since they were a regular event that I think everyone is motivated to make them super special. And guests can't wait to attend. A few milestones make us feel like we've made it—those moments when it hits us that we're a real brewery now. We're so focused on building that we often forget to look around at what we've created.   A big milestone was a beer dinner at Meddlesome Moth last Sunday. We've attended so many dinners as guests and thought maybe one day it could be us. So when they reached out to ask if we would help celebrate their 14th anniversary with them, I said yes before he could finish the sentence. Last weekend was a core memory. Cheers to more dinners and more milestones!